tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post8932792985991057326..comments2024-03-28T01:39:53.154-04:00Comments on The Peak of Chic®: Peter Coats at AlbanyThe Peak of Chichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02811933436075145329noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-8373555128390134452021-02-22T10:51:03.953-05:002021-02-22T10:51:03.953-05:00Lucy, Thank you for your comment. He must have bee...Lucy, Thank you for your comment. He must have been such an interesting person to have known. The Peak of Chichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02811933436075145329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-47882562918689837782021-02-21T07:30:03.181-05:002021-02-21T07:30:03.181-05:00I was nearly related to Peter Coats, and well reme...I was nearly related to Peter Coats, and well remember going to his set in Albany when I was a child. It was quite dark and poky inside, but filled with marvellous things, which I wasn’t allowed to touch, and a wonderful portrait of his mother by Sargent . It was so lovely to see pictures of those rooms again, so thank you for posting them. Peter was not necessarily a Coats by blood, at least that’s what family legend says. He certainly looks very different to his brothers. He was never happier than when dressed in white linen and wearing an ancient Panama hat, wandering round borders and suggesting alterations and changes to plants my mother had put in. He had very much the grand manner, but also a charming smile. I think he didn’t really know how to speak to small children, having, for obvious reasons, none of his own, but the older of his young relatives adored him. I feel very sad indeed that for most of his life his amours were illegal. Lucy Coatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10068001260384750820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-55172017950155910072016-10-10T08:46:10.196-04:002016-10-10T08:46:10.196-04:00I agree that Lord Byron would indeed trump Mr. Sto...I agree that Lord Byron would indeed trump Mr. Stone. <br /><br />I've been meaning to read Strong's diaries. Perhaps your comment will prompt me to finally do so.The Peak of Chichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02811933436075145329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-19189785946035953202016-10-08T17:00:47.571-04:002016-10-08T17:00:47.571-04:00I am reading Sir Roy Strong's diaries and he s...I am reading Sir Roy Strong's diaries and he says that Peter Coats' set in Albany was once occupied by Lord Byron so perhaps trumping Mr William Stone as a previous occupant. I was once visiting someone in Albany when a neighbour came in, spotted a new biography and having satisfied himself from the index that he was included in it, described the whole edifice as 'sheltered accommodation' with only a modicum of irony...... Catniphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16623043660569208464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-31800689912997355112013-09-10T08:58:14.891-04:002013-09-10T08:58:14.891-04:00The drawing room is very spacious and beautiful ar...The drawing room is very spacious and beautiful art works.Catherinehttp://www.transferdepot.co.uk/minicab_to_stansted/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-17986923426728682992013-07-22T03:09:02.793-04:002013-07-22T03:09:02.793-04:00Doodling around this weekend I found a September 1...Doodling around this weekend I found a September 1982 issue of The Tatler showing 5 residents of Albany including Coats in his dining room. It was once part of Lord Byron's set.Victorianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-36768054091421302452013-07-18T06:40:54.902-04:002013-07-18T06:40:54.902-04:00I don't think there should be anything mysteri...I don't think there should be anything mysterious about calling it Albany. My understanding was that it was just short for Albany House- so calling it The Albany wouldn't make sense. And, incidentally, I see that Tom Driberg's former house (Bradwell Lodge) in Essex is up for sale- and at a relatively affordable price. A splendid neo-classical pile, close to a nuclear power station and very isolated on a strange peninsular. There's an observatory on top- very handy for signalling to Soviet subs, and Dennis Wheatley-esque escapades.Luke Honeyhttp://www.lukehoney.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-58231236630575251112013-07-17T10:07:25.956-04:002013-07-17T10:07:25.956-04:00It may indeed be 'Albany' without any pref...It may indeed be 'Albany' without any prefix--yet wasn't it Algernon Moncrieff who read out John Worthing's address<br />as 'B-4, The Albany' ?? <br />Meaning that even Oscar Wilde got it wrong. <br />Toby Worthingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05887066048372484464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-41155402271943034642013-07-16T16:15:15.982-04:002013-07-16T16:15:15.982-04:00The fact that Coats's cottage was just down th...The fact that Coats's cottage was just down the road in Essex from Channon's splendid-Hicks decorated-Kelvedon Hall, where Chips lived with his Guinness heiress wife and family, was all ways a bit of clue. Even now nobody lives in Essex without a damn good reason... I live next door in Herts.<br /><br />Btw,Pax Brit. its all ways just Albany, no 'the', check with your friends there! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-83687116608994782282013-07-16T13:07:28.443-04:002013-07-16T13:07:28.443-04:00I love that the residents of the Albany call thems...I love that the residents of the Albany call themselves Albanians!Pigtown*Designhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13775512940294150252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-66854077383868841802013-07-15T21:40:36.134-04:002013-07-15T21:40:36.134-04:00Pax, I have Of Generals and Gardens on order from ...Pax, I have Of Generals and Gardens on order from the U.K. It should arrive any day now, and I am very anxious to read it. What a fascinating character.The Peak of Chichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02811933436075145329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-27914513483132364162013-07-15T19:14:19.856-04:002013-07-15T19:14:19.856-04:00And Generals/Gardens and the later Kings/Cabbages ...And Generals/Gardens and the later Kings/Cabbages are highly recommended. Coats was an inveterate raconteur, and had a fascinating life: ADC to Field Marshall Lord Wavell when he was Viceroy of India during most of the War. I have friends who knew him at The Albany.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15628708792887882072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-51491928011895765682013-07-15T16:24:06.729-04:002013-07-15T16:24:06.729-04:00Maven- That's a very interesting blog post!Maven- That's a very interesting blog post!The Peak of Chichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02811933436075145329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-89313559675101394382013-07-15T16:23:43.562-04:002013-07-15T16:23:43.562-04:00I think there are many of us eagerly anticipating ...I think there are many of us eagerly anticipating the unexpurgated edition so that we can, as you say, learn more. I always thought the Channon dining room looked so elegant in black and white photos. Once I saw a color photo, however, I realized it was more showy than elegant.The Peak of Chichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02811933436075145329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-34152550314004003432013-07-15T11:52:08.802-04:002013-07-15T11:52:08.802-04:00I found this whilst poking around the internet:
h...I found this whilst poking around the internet:<br /><br />http://theesotericcuriosa.blogspot.com/2010/07/honorary-esoteric-sir-henry-chips.html<br /><br />(The 9th photo down features the carved figures being discussed in the comments above.)mavennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-67617079477817872912013-07-15T10:24:45.100-04:002013-07-15T10:24:45.100-04:00An unexpurgated edition of the complete Channon di...An unexpurgated edition of the complete Channon diaries is in preparation (everyone in them now being safely dead), so we may learn more... The mirrored table and some panelling from the Belgrave Square dining room was sold recently in London - it all looked rather gimcrack and tawdry in the daylight, alas, though it inevitably went for way over the estimate.Pax Britannicanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-5046658873339577012013-07-14T10:10:39.868-04:002013-07-14T10:10:39.868-04:00Mr. Worthington, You and Bart have eagle eyes. I ...Mr. Worthington, You and Bart have eagle eyes. I hope you find a copy of this Harling H&G book. It's fascinating, and the homes which are featured are absolutely charming. A bygone era in design.<br /><br />The Peak of Chichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02811933436075145329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-62157659442060599132013-07-14T09:28:28.058-04:002013-07-14T09:28:28.058-04:00Simply Grand aka Magnaverde aka Bart Swindal has b...Simply Grand aka Magnaverde aka Bart Swindal has beaten me to the chase! <br />The moment I saw those carved exotic figures, No. 5 Belgrave Square sprang to mind,<br />where Chips Channon had engaged Boudin to work his wonders. It's fascinating too,<br />the way we can reference Peter Coats and Chips Channon as having a special friendship,<br />without raising a single eyebrow. This wasn't always the case. In fact Peter Coats was<br />none too pleased to find himself described in James Lees Milnes's published diaries as Chips's<br />companion.<br />But don't let me ramble on here. This post was a charming surprise. Now I'm off to<br />locate that elusive Robert Harling book.<br />Toby Worthingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05887066048372484464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-51490686648528143952013-07-13T08:25:53.789-04:002013-07-13T08:25:53.789-04:00Mr. Grand, I love that you made the Channon connec...Mr. Grand, I love that you made the Channon connection because of the figures. I knew I had seen those figures somewhere before, but couldn't remember where. Aren't you clever!<br /><br />I think you need this book. You of all people would really enjoy it.The Peak of Chichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02811933436075145329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34961211.post-8629968140897712852013-07-12T13:22:03.999-04:002013-07-12T13:22:03.999-04:00If I didn't already know--vaguely--and even if...If I didn't already know--vaguely--and even if you hadn't mentioned the connection between Peter Coats and that elegant & amoral opportunist Chips Channon, I would still have figured out that something was up between those two, because the carved figures in the photo of Caot's dining room used to stand at the far end of the corridor that led to the Channon's shock-&-awe dining room. Quite a change of scene.<br /><br />And the near-collision of deep, saturated colors in Coats' hall/library makes me think of George Stacey & Rose Cumming. Not together, of course. At any rate, this edition of the H&G book isn't in my own collection but, obviously, it needs to be. Thanks for the alert.Magnaverdehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04231057342527140091noreply@blogger.com